1.25. The Network Society

The Information Age trilogy (Castells, 1996; 1997; 1998) theorizes ‘a world reconstituting itself around a series of networks strung around the globe on the basis of advanced communication technologies’ (Stalder, 2006). The network theme represents both a new ordering of society (no longer primarily hierarchical) and the technological means which make it possible – the internet. Particularly interesting for eParticipation studies are Castells’ analyses of social movements as the engine of political change in society, the network state and informational politics. Unlike many other macro theories of society and social change, information technology is integrated into the theory.

References:

Castells, M. (1996). The Rise of the Network Society. Oxford: Blackwell.

Castells, M. (1997). The Power of Identity. Oxford: Blackwell.

Castells, M. (1998). End of Millenium. Oxford: Blackwell.

Stalder, F., & Castells, M. (2006). The Theory of the Network Society. Polity, Malden.

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